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Monday, April 30, 2012

Once again I moved the studio back outside! Whoop! Whoop! Of course by Sunday afternoon it was hot as blue blazes and I had to stop, but it was good while it lasted. We have a TV set up out there so this time I watched a movie while working. I never ever do that. Ever. Well, maybe that's because there's no TV in the real studio at this house..and come to think of it I didn't at the old house either. I watched with my trusty 4-legged companions Double Jeopardy. Man, that is such a good movie! Isn't it weird that Ashley Judd has moved to TV? Must be the new "in" thing to do.

I was pleasantly surprised this week by my Amazon pre-orders. Flora Bowley's book and Sabrina Ward Harrison's new one! I placed them on the table with me in hopes that somehow by osmosis their talents would inspire me! I love, love, love to buy art books. Especially written by artists I admire. I'm not saying I want to paint like them, but as an artist I love to know how they are motivated to paint, what inspires them, what their studio is like, etc...It is magical to me that each of us creates such unique works of art! The creativity of others amazes me beyond words. I can get lost in it sometimes. I've not opened the books yet. I'm saving them for a special plane ride. shhh.....

This week's painting was inspired by one I painted for an upcoming show last week. I just loved it so much with the rainbow cloud. But this one wasn't quite right. I kept painting over areas and getting flustered. I rarely get flustered but realized that this set-up, the low coffee table and the weird stool were awkward and uncomfy. And like I said, I never watch movies. Love music, but no TV. In fact I am anti-TV most of the time. So perhaps that was what was making me off. And also....well my son and husband were at the ball field. I'd opted to stay home for the 1st game of the day because honestly I just wanted quiet. It's selfish I know, but I did. And honestly lately his team has won both games on Saturday and then lost the first on Sunday and are home by lunch. So why would this day be any different? Wishful thinking MOM. Instead his team went on to play to the Championship game and win! And William hit 2 homerun balls. Geesh. Seriously? So, I was feeling a tad sorry for myself as well. So painting and feeling pitful do not mix in my chapter book. At all.

So what did I do? Went shopping. Yeah. At Michael's for my upcoming Paint Something Workshops I found brush sets, fun pencils and awesome orange metal trays for our food. Yeah! Then at TJ Maxx I found some random things. It was productive anyways. And I was by myself. All day. I know. Never happens. William just laughed that I missed his homeruns streak...again. I do miss games because of art shows. Never because I selfishly wanted a day at home alone (of course there is the theory that had I been there they'd have sucked.). Oh and where was Mailey you ask? With her Nana all day. Bonding. I think Mom knew I needed a day off too.

Oh, and here's sweet Ellie who laid quietly behind me basking in the afternoon sun. Oh to be able to lounge in the sun all day. Soon.....very soon. Do you know we have only 19 days of school left. Holy tamoly is right!! Oh summer. You will be so welcome into this home.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

This week's behind the scenes may induce a bonfire and round of cum-ba-ya. Just warning you. Because this week I again moved the studio out of the studio. That sounded weird. Anyhoo....like last week, I knew painting time in the basement studio was going to be short and I've another show in a few weeks and a portrait to paint(that's a fun one). I started the week like last week with a pile of fresh wooden panels and my giant bag of paint at school. And then realized my lunch was going to be consumed with the upcoming art fundraiser Friday. Dang. So Tuesday I piled it all up and brought it home to find it was AMAZING outside. I love to be outside. Working in the yard, running, walking Lily, etc...all outside activities that tend to leave me exhausted. And easily I could have just jumped outside and done one of those things. Actually I may have gone running. Or was that Monday? Geesh the days run together sometimes.

So I walked out onto our fabulous screened porch to find this little one doing something I really needed to:

So I did. Yep. And then I had an "a-ha!!" moment. Well, after sitting a spell I did.

It was hard to get up from this dreamy spot. It's like being in a tree house. It's funny, when looking for a new house Billy and I both wanted a few things and they were: a bigger kitchen, laundry room, basement and screened in porch. Well, maybe that is a big list of wants, but we found them ALL right here at 120. Woohoo. And seriously the previous owners went all out on this space. I love it. I watch as much TV out here as I can. Drink many a glasses of favorite red wine out here. Always talk to my distant peeps here. And really look forward to summer mornings out here drinking my coffee. You should come join me!

So the idea? I moved the studio out here!! Genius. I painted and listened to the quietness. Well, except when the Barber's dogs barked...which I've decided is a lot. Hmm... But it didn't stop me. And until it gets Georgia hot, this may be a new place for painting. The porch is a cool L shape with the space above more like a living area and below, where I painted, an eating area. Of all things the table we have outside has a lovely Amy Butler oil cloth cover (she totally inspires me) and for chairs....drum roll.....my old art stools from when I had the studio! Cool. So it is perfect for a make-shift studio.

A mason jar just seemed perfect for water on the porch. And inspired the limeade background.

Lily doesn't fit on the stool with me like the big yellow chair. Which appeared to irritate her a tad.

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﻿On a final note, I responded to a comment by a sweet reader this week that just struck an exciting chord. I often get told or asked, "how do you do it all?" And well, I don't. Not really. Do it ALL. I have a wonderful husband that is really cute doing laundry and unloading the dishwasher. And when he does dinner...well.... My kids are also at this super age. Of independence that is. And are crazy similar to me. In that they like to be alone. In fact Mailey said to me recently when I was piling on the couch to work on the computer, "Mom, are you going to work in here?" "I was planning to. To be near you?" "Mom, seriously, I am around people ALL day. I really just want to be alone for awhile." Holy tamoly?? That is SO ME! And then we all come together after dinner and chillax. TV, reading, homework. It's our routine. We all need to be alone when we get home from school though. So that is my creative time. My blogging time. My time to say hey to you. It works.

My response to her was a little more though. It was this....while home working as an artist full-time I became more self-centered than healthy. Like absorbed in the me..me..me...I did only what I wanted. Didn't get out much. Missed tons of wonderful opportunities. Just worked. All the time. On my work. By myself. Looking back now I think I was more like a little hamster on her wheel. Running to nowhere fast. Now I have a job to get up for and most days look forward to. I have limits on my extra time which makes that extra time extra special. I've complained about this full-time job probably more than I should have. Because honestly having the opportunity to share my gifts with these children daily is inspiring me beyond words. And her email gently reminded me of this. Finding a focus on painting has really, really got me giggly goo happy. Also we've been situated in the new house almost 9 months. And now it's time to start living in the home. And creating. Woohooo!!

Sunday, April 22, 2012

This week I was back to my old tricks with paint. In fact, this reminds me A LOT of some of my original paintings I did back in 2007. See:

It's amazing to me how years apart these paintings are and yet the palette looks like I painted them on the same day. Common thread.......common thread. That's all I'm saying. You gotta find it. Sometimes we drift away. And that's okay too. That's how you grow. But you need to have a thread that leads you back to what you know, love and thrive in doing. I think I'm there right now. And seriously could not be happier.

Friday, April 20, 2012

Howdy! Yep. Doing it backyards this week. Showing you behind the scenes, then the finished product. And yep. I'm not finished with it thus why you are getting the behind before the done! Ha. It's close, just have to add the stabilo pencil which danged if it wasn't in my rolling art cart this week. You see, this week I decided to use my lunch time as painting time at school. Don't worry I still ate. I love food. There may or not be PB&J in the paint. If you are allergic, you just might not want to buy this painting!

So why the rolling art cart. Well folks, I found myself getting lost in cyberland too much while at lunch. During class I pace the classroom like a vulcher over its' prey. Kids these days do not always make wise choices with conversations or with their body parts. I'll just leave it at that. So it's not like I am blissfully painting all day in a corner of my art room. Nope. Just a few short minutes at lunch and a few at the end of the day. Enough though. To keep me motivated and excited about painting. Plus, like I said on the other cool blog I write, the kids are totally thinking I am a rock star painter. I've been leaving it all out on an extra table this week. So some classes have seen a cool progression from blank boards to finished pieces. And they all ask, "Mrs. Horne, did you paint these?" I really, really want to say something smarty pants. But I don't. I smile and say, "yep". And then they give me the "She's a rock star" look. OMG am I full of myself or what?

Yes, I have a ton of paint. And that's not all of it. I love paint. Luv.....

This week I drew out the composition on the plain board. Not something I do often. I usually have to do something to the base with gesso (black or white), texture or recently I've been using encaustic. This week, just plain old wood.

And then came the paint. Heavy body acrylic paints. In yummy cool shades. And as usual, I can't work on just one painting at a time I've got to work on more. See:

And see:

Oh, and I had to eat some of this below (maybe more than one helping...geesh our school spoils us! The Principal's husband cooked out for the teachers today and below is Dr. Falk's famous iced brownies)

So here is #6. Almost done. It needs some pop somewhere, somehow. I'll find it. But right now I am thinking I need a nap. Friday afternoons have become my napping hours. No way you say? Jenni Adkins Horne takes a break? yeah. I know, I am weak. Well, not really. I bust a move all week and Friday when I get home I crash and burn!!

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

So....seriously it was an amazing post all about the above painting that just "POOF" disappeared. In all my years of blogging this has never ever ever ever happened. So I am pouting a bit. Because it was such a great post. And it took me freaking forever to write it. So, I can't re-create it. Instead I'm going to sulk about it and move on to this week's painting. It's Wednesday. And I've not painted it yet. It's in my bag to take to school. I've been painting at lunch lately actually. It's nice. Instead of getting lost in cyber world while eating my yummy lunches (I take my lunch everyday now because my thighs were LOVING school lunches a tad too much!) I am now painting. 30 minutes isn't long, but by the end of the week I have one painting done. If I keep this up it'll be like 4 a month! Wooohooo!! And besides, the kids at school are loving seeing my work sitting around the room. I'm like a rock star painter to them. And that makes me feel really cool. Yeah.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

I am in love with this painting for some reason. Maybe it's the swoops, maybe the birds, maybe the stencils. Maybe it's just were I am in the journey....5 weeks in. Wow. Thanks for commenting and encouraging words! You guys are great!

Some exciting news.....Vero and I have decided to offer pre-sales on the canvases!!! Of course, you can't hang it in your home until after the show opening....but if you fall in love with any of the 52 prior to the show opening we are working on a page in her website to purchase the paintings. I'll also have a new page at the top of my blog with great photos of the canvases as they are completed with a direct link to the sale page in her site. Since everything is being run through the Naked Art Gallery that's how we've decided to work it. Hey. I'm just glad we are a great team...Vero and I! I'll be sure to let you know when the sales are up and running. (which will be AFTER the show this weekend)

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Well, shame on me. I got so into painting that I TOTALLY forgot to take pics of the process. I think. I can't seem to find them on my camera. And I swear I took some. My camera battery died so I had to pull out the point and shoot. Right? Geesh. I am blaming this black out in my brain on the recent sun glow(which means summer with no cares), homeade cookies that have filled my belly, and Lily. Yes, I am totally blaming the dog. Haha....but here are some close-ups anyways. Enjoy!!

Friday, April 6, 2012

Moving right along during my Spring Break. We snuck away a few days where I did nothing(bet ya didn't see that coming. Me sneak away AND do nothing in one week? WOW. No, pigs are not flying right now).

N-o-t-h-i-n-g. No really. I took jewelry to put together and never got it out of the Jeep. Well, I suppose nothing is a small lie. I worked on a sunburn. Drank wine with my Daddy on the porch at the lake. Watched the sunset. Watched my kids play in the water and catch lots of "fry". Watched Mailey make serious duck friends. And thought alot about life and how to move forward. Yeah, I do that alot. Think. Think until it hurts sometimes. I came back very refreshed and feeling like I have a new purpose. I'll talk about that later, on the Studio blog. For now, I did squeak in #4 while working on show paintings. I am loving this new bird. And the bottom layers. Yep. Now I gotta get back to show work. See ya later.

Monday, April 2, 2012

As a child I loved Legos. If you read my regular blog you probably already know this about me. I've always loved constructing things. In fact, I think my strength is in looking at something 2-D then creating it 3-D. Now drawing something to look 3-D? Not so much. This why I lean on my "whimsical" crutch and create work that is silly, fun, and magical. Yep. I said it. I think my work is magical. And right now it has a ton to do with the bricks above. They are bringing out something very new and exciting in my work. I said over on my studio blog that I've used up all my encaustic canvases (20) and was going to get out the acrylics. Well, instead I just bought more canvases. And I have 49 of the weekly canvases to go (OK, yes I could use some of those because I could buy more but I have this freaky idea that I need to leave those be and use them one a week like the plan. Perhaps I am a rule follower? Perhaps I need to work on that.). So I am thinking this medium is going to stick around a spell longer. And keep working on the magic.

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the artist

This is me, Jenni Adkins Horne. I'm a wife, mother of 2 and an art teacher living a full life in the suburbs of Atlanta, GA. This journal is all about my 40th year journey through 52 canvases. That's right....I'm painting through my 40th year! How fun, right?